Bard, A Place to Think - Master of Arts in Teaching

Hometown: Saugerties, NY
Previous Education: SUNY Cortland, B.S. Biology
Work Experience Prior to Bard: Stay at home mother, 10 years
Currently Teaching: 7th grade Life Sciences, Haviland Middle School, Hyde Park, NY

Why did you want to become a teacher?
I love working with kids, especially disadvantaged kids. Seeing any student truly engage in the learning process is amazing, but there is something extra special when you see that spark in a student who many teachers have given up on.

What are your career goals?
My career goals are to continue my own education while educating my students and learning from my students. I want to continue finding avenues to become a better scientist through research opportunities, local programs, and further education. I also want to continue my own education in the field of education. My goal is to keep learning inside and outside of school.

Why did you choose Bard?
I love Bard’s philosophy and approach to education. I wanted a program that would challenge me and get me into the classroom quickly. The one year program is intense but worth it. Bard focuses on not only the education aspect but also on the idea that becoming an expert in your field is critical to becoming a great teacher.

Tell us about your student teaching experience.
My student teacher experience was wonderful. As a practicing teacher I see student teachers come into my building who have not had the training needed to start teaching and it makes me all the more grateful for my own experience at Bard. The involvement of the mentor teachers with Bard makes a HUGE difference. There was an enormous amount of support and guidance provided.

In what way did Bard’s MAT make you into the teacher you are?
I am a teacher who is always looking for ways to help students reach greater understandings. Looking at students’ different learning styles is critical. I teach an average of 120 students over 5 periods a day. Some are regular education students, some are students in special education, and some are special education students who are considered “self-contained.” These students are intermixed within my classes and it is my job to make sure that I try to reach all of them. Lecturing to students, although sometimes necessary, is a rarity in my classroom. Together with my fellow science teachers we design curriculum to reach greater understanding by challenging students to participate in authentic science. We ask them to perform hands-on activities, work in groups, and to think beyond what a textbook would offer. I think that the Bard MAT program complemented my teaching style and provided me with the tools I need to teach in this way.
The research aspect of the MAT program is not something that you will find in other programs. Doing educational research is definitely something that had a huge impact on me as a teacher and continues to be a prevalent part of my career.

Is there anything else you would like to share with prospective Bard students?
The MAT program is intense and very challenging. I had been away from education for almost 10 years and I was scared to death to go back, but I did it and there is nothing that I am more proud of. I walked into my first year of teaching prepared for what was to come and did so because the MAT program prepared me for it. If you love learning and want to dedicate yourselves to the field of education there is no better place to be.
I had 4 children under the age of 10 when I entered the MAT program. It’s all about time management and knowing that you want to dedicate yourself to teaching. It can be done!